GAYLORD — Community leaders, educators, faith communities, and service providers from across Northern Michigan gathered April 24 for the inaugural Belong: Northern Michigan Immigrant Inclusion Network Conference, held at Treetops Resort.
The event brought together 190 attendees representing the northern 21 counties of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, as well as organizations serving communities statewide. The conference focused on strengthening collaboration and support for immigrant and multilingual populations across the region.
The keynote address was given by Gladys Muñoz, director of the Justice and Peace Advocacy Center. Participants also heard from an expert panel and participated in breakout sessions addressing immigration law, English Language Learner support, community resources, healthcare access, and the economic impact of immigrant communities.
Organizers said the goal of the conference was to build stronger connections across systems and communities.
“This is about creating spaces where people can come together to learn from one another and strengthen support for all families in Northern Michigan,” said Robin Ingalls, a member of the Conference Planning Team, and teacher at Public Schools of Petoskey.
The conference also recognized the following people and organizations for their leadership and contributions to immigrant inclusion efforts:
Belonging Award: Outstanding K-12 Student — Zoe Nicole Hipolito Bahena
Belonging Award: Outstanding Young Adult — Leonardo Sevilla Molina
Belonging Award: Outstanding Adult — Etna Romo
Belonging Award: Outstanding Agency — The Petoskey District Library
Beacon of Belonging Award – Iosco RESA
Belong: Northern Michigan Immigrant Inclusion Network, works to foster collaboration among schools, agencies, health systems, faith communities, businesses, and other community partners to support welcoming and inclusive communities. Organizers say the conference marks the beginning of ongoing regional efforts.
Those interested in learning more or getting involved can visit Belong or contact Belong-Info@strangersnolonger.org.
More pictures: https://strangersnolonger.org/photo-gallery/#belong-northern-michigan-immigrant
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